Unforgotten Words
by Super Sheba
Summary: Words are so simple, yet they can be so dear that they are never forgetten, even in the wake of despair.


**Unforgotten Words**

Reunion is such a beautiful word, holding joyous memories within each simple sound as it floats off of the tongue.  Never will I forget the day that word found meaning within my heart and brought an understanding of what peace truly was.  It had seemed as though I had worried forever, awaiting his return.  Each night I had prayed I would again seen the man I had grown to love, not the evil he had fallen into the clutches of.  That night was such a blessing to my bleeding heart, and had relieved an inner despair that had been consuming my being.  Strong I had attempted to be, yet the thorn in my bosom never disappeared.  Living with shattered dreams was a task my soul could not handle, and I was almost lost to this grief.

Tiny candles illuminated the sky as a silvery crescent moon shed its glittering veil upon the indigo sky.  The chirping of crickets echoed, bidding a sad farewell to the dying sun.  I sat atop the roof of the aoiya, the cracked shingles leaving traces of dust upon my legs.  Fear had encompassed my mind, my thoughts unable to find any hint of happiness in the dark abyss.  Within my heart I knew he had inconceivable strength, yet I could not forget the image of the broken man I had created as Kenshin had told me of his doing.  His existence now seemed a silhouette, only the shell of the man I had once admired with great reverence.  Forgetting the icy stare he had given me as he had voiced his wish to never set sight upon me again was impossible.  Once there had been an unbreakable bond between us, but those precious threads had severed.  Only my love for him held us together, for the Aoshi Shinomori I knew was gone.

As a child, Aoshi had been my truest friend, and had protected me at any cost.  His gaze had been loving as his cool blue eyes watched over me protectively, not cruel and emotionlessly.  Riding on his shoulders laughing as we ran through fields of flowers dancing, his voice singing me to sleep each night as he rocked me in his arms; both were memories that I clung to, convincing myself that Aoshi would again care for me.  A belief that our friendship was eternal still lived quietly within me, yet somehow, it seemed so distant and unattainable.  I could no longer bear the emotion piercing me as those mythical memories seemed to escape my mind, and I placed my head in my arms, weeping silent tears for something that could never again be.

A cry sounded as the sound of footsteps scuffing in the dust brought my head up to look at the source of the excited voice.  Before me was Aoshi, his eyes averted to the ground and his voice unwilling to speak.  Forgetting every injury tearing at me, I slid down from the roof as I ran to him, hoping he would again cradle me as tenderly as he once had, yet my presence went ignored as his tall form glided past me without a sound.  Trembling, I sank to my knees, my tears staining the earth as my courage vanished.  Had Aoshi no understanding of my feelings for him?  Did he not see he held my fragile heart within his hands?  The warm embrace that I had imagined was but a whimsical fantasy.  The ground beckoned me as I felt my body falling into its touch motionless.

"Misao-chan…" a voice whispered as I rose from the ground in the embrace of a stranger.

Tears still slid down my pale cheeks as those soothing words slid fluidly from the man's tongue, his strong arms holding me close to him.  My eyes remained closed as I dared not gaze upon the world that had so easily broken me.  Again the soft lilt spoke to me as a gentle hand rested upon my cheek, settling my head onto the man's shoulder.

"Misao-chan….." comforted the stranger.

Only one individual had such a voice, yet my mind did not will me to believe what my heart so strongly told me.  Allowing myself to fall into the soothe of the stranger's embrace, I whimpered as my sapphire orbs widened to gaze into the cerulean eyes of an old friend.

"Aoshi-sama…?" I questioned quietly, still fearing I would soon wake up from the seemingly perfect dream.

"Misao-chan, I have returned." replied Aoshi, his face buried in my raven locks.

"Can it really be?  Is it truly you?" I asked with disbelief.

"Do you remember what I promised you?" he said quietly, his vision focused upon my face.

"That you would always hold me close to your heart…." I whispered, my eyes again filling with tears as the age old promise brought forth words too dear to be forgotten.

"I never break my promises Misao. Never." stated Aoshi, his lips curving into an almost invisible smile.  

"I know Aoshi, I know.  I know…" I said with a hint of joy.  "Yet still, I feared you would never return to the man I cared so deeply for.  You changed so much, and then you said you never wanted to see me again.  It was so difficult to keep faith."

"Misao, you mean more to me than anything else in this world.  Never would I forget you, nor will I ever forsake you.  Remember that." he said firmly, pulling me closer to him.

"I will always hold those words within my heart, for they are too sweet to ever forget." I said as my tears ceased, and my soul thrived with passion. 

I leaned towards Aoshi and planted a kiss upon his cheek, only to find his lips grazing mine within moments.  A warm aura emanated from him as the guilt and angered emotions faded from his presence.  Slowly, his arms loosened from my slim form as his mouth opened to speak.

"I love you Misao, and I always will." Aoshi reminded me as he set me down, squeezing my hand.  "Never forget that Misao-chan, Never."

With that, his handsome form retreated, leaving me as quietly as it had come, yet I could still hear his words singing in the wind.

"Misao, you mean more to me than anything else in this world.  Never would I forget you, nor will I ever forsake you.  Remember that."


End file.
